FISHING TAILS: Anglers reel in some big bream

WINTER, what winter? The usual cooler days of early June never appeared and many of the species waiting for the drop in temperature stayed on.

Moving towards July there has been an unprecedented run of warm weather, which has definitely had an effect on the local fishing.

There are a few quality bream just like this getting around at the moment.

Plenty of huge bream have been reported at many of the region's estuaries. Though they haven't topped some of the 3kg snodgers of last year, a 1-2kg bream is still a horse.

Apart from the diehard addicts, not a lot of locals are chasing bream on lures - the majority using bait.

This time of year, when the bream are congregating, is probably the time to try out soft plastics or hard-body lures for some of the best fighting action short of a mangrove jack.

The difference is a jack usually slows after the initial, very hard charge, whereas a bream fights solid to the end.

Whiting, dart, flathead, queenfish and trevally are also worth a shot. On that note, there are lots of really big flatties in many of the local systems at present and these big girls are the breeders of future stocks.

Jack Sutton with a fine flatty caught up the creek.

We went for a quick flick last Sunday morning and scored upwards of 20 whiting in under an hour. The majority of those were just under-size so they went back to fight another day.

However, there are some very nice fish among the little ones. It is always worth a shot along the beaches or the creek mouths heading north from the Fitzroy. Yabbies or prawns are the best baits.

Black jew have arrived in force at all the jew holes, on rotation from the deeper spots to the shallower areas over the full moon. They will be here on and off for the next couple of months at least.

As with the rest of the offshore species, weather plays a big part in the available chances to capture a trophy jew. The rule of four days before the moon to four days after does work when you can get to them.

A nice red snapper caught off Yeppoon.

When conditions allow, try a different tack and fish for them when nobody else is around on other phases of the moon. It might surprise you.All the fish caught in the past month or so and sent into me or shared on FB with me are eligible for the coming $50 voucher, and you can still enter by getting pictures to me ASAP.

Thanks again to Bluefin Sports, Rosslyn Bay Kiosk, the Causeway Lake Kiosk, Stanage Bay Marine and The Secret Spot, Kalka Bait and Tackle, which are the local weigh points where you can get your photo taken or just drop yours in. Contact me at ifishcq2@bigpond.com.

Send your emails or photos in to be eligible for any of our $50 random voucher draws.